Uncovering the Truth
by LovingMyAngel
Summary: Jo and Henry are working together on a seemingly normal case, but when things get out hand of unexpectedly, Henry is faced with a difficult choice. Will he reveal his secret?
1. Chapter 1

Will Henry reveal his secret? Keep reading to find out! Please comment and criticize so I can improve my work, thank you.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Forever or the characters, I'm just doing it to express my love for the show!

* * *

It was about 9:45 a.m. when Henry arrived on the scene. He looked as dapper as per usual, wearing one of his favorite maroon scarves, and proceeded to head towards the body. It was a bit difficult maneuvering through the crowd of anxious onlookers due to the alleyway being so narrow. If it weren't for the surrounding NYPD officers, it would have been much more difficult. Primarily focused on getting to the body, Henry went directly to work. He hastily walked towards the body whilst putting on his blue, latex gloves. It was a young, Caucasian, twenty-something female lying in a pool of her own blood, and she had several stab wounds in the torso. She was surrounded by broken glass and various amounts of other rubbish, but that was to be expected in an alley. He bent down and crouched near the body in order to get a better look. Not a minute later and Henry had already made his conclusion.

"It doesn't appear that any major organs were punctured, so I would assume that the cause of death is exsanguination. Her killer had enough power and endurance to stab her with what appears to a short, single-edged knife, most likely a pocketknife, about fourteen times repetitively, suggesting her killer is a male with a decent build. Not only that, but it would seem that her murderer was not a thief, but perhaps someone she had known," Henry said as he looked up to Detectives Martinez and Hanson.

"How on Earth did ya' get that?" Detective Hanson challenged as he put his hands on his hips.

"Well, stabbing one isn't as easy one might think. It takes power and endurance to do such a thing," he said whilst talking with his hands, "especially when done fourteen times. The stab wounds aren't very deep, and while it is only a guess, I would say it is safe to assume one might carry a pocketknife with him in a dark, narrow alleyway. The necklace around her neck isn't cheap and her purse seems untouched, so that excludes a robber, unless they are incredibly senseless. And last but not least, while guns are more frequently used, they are usually used impersonally, but knives are different. Knives indicate a more personal, closer relationship. Whoever the killer is, they are most likely someone the victim knew, and she was able to anger them enough to do this." He stood up confidently and smiled.

Jo looked to him, crossed her arms, smiled, and said, "You never cease to amaze me, you know?"

"Thank you Detective, I do my best. Of course, I will need to perform an autopsy in order to properly inspect the body, but I would assume most of my findings are correct. I will most likely drop off my report to you tomorrow." He started to walk towards the street, but before he could, Jo called to him.

"Hey! Do you need a ride?"

He swiveled around on his heels and said, "That would be lovely, thank you for asking."

"Really?" Detective Hanson asked quietly. "You know we took my car, right?"

"I know, I just thought I'd just be nice. Besides, it's not that big of a deal, right?"

"No, but I mean, the dude's just weird."

Henry walked up to the two of them with a grin on his face and confronted Hanson. "I assure you that I won't be too troublesome, I promise."

* * *

"We still have to wait for the toxicology report, but from what I can tell, the cause of death is still exsanguination. Time of death was around four a.m., and interestingly enough, there were no fingerprints on the body, but there were trace amounts of skin under her fingernails, indicating she didn't do very much damage to her attacker, so we will have to wait for those results as well," Henry said as he walked up to Jo's desk and startled her.

"Alright. Good to know. I've done some digging and our victim, Alexis Whiteland, was working three jobs and was living with her boyfriend, Luke Daily. Her body was found a few blocks away from one of her places of employment, Sal's Pizzeria. And her boyfriend is currently unemployed and has had some drug charges in the past."

"Interesting," said Henry. "What was her financial situation?"

"Well," she said gazing at her computer, "she had almost no money despite the three jobs. I guess what she earned went up his nose. Let's go talk to some people, you want to come with me?" she asked, hoping he would accept her offer.

"Absolutely," said Henry.

* * *

"Hi, welcome to Sal's Pizzeria!" a well-groomed teenager with a face full of acne said shyly. "Table for two?" he asked.

"No thank you, we'd like to talk to the manager," Jo said sweetly yet sternly.

"Oh, okay," the boy said awkwardly. He walked to the back to retrieve his supervisor. There were no patrons in the restaurant, just unfilled tables and chairs. A larger man came out from the back and approached them.

"Hello, how can I help ya'?" said an older man dressed in all white and a greasy apron. The man was well into his fifties and wasn't in the best of shape, but retained a genuine smile. His restaurant was just a small, hole-in-the-wall place, but it served its purpose.

Jo flashed her badge and introduced herself and her assistant, "Hi, I'm Detective Martinez and this is Dr. Morgan. We're with the NYPD and we'd like to talk to you about Alexis."

"Hello Detective, I'm Sal. Might I ask what all this is about?"

"Well, we found Alexis' body a few blocks from here, and we hate to say it, but she was murdered. We were just wondering if we could talk and get some info." Worry and disbelief came over Sal's face.

"Oh my God," he said, "I can't believe someone could do something like that." He looked down at the floor in shock. "She was such a sweet girl, and a great worker. Do you guys know who might've done it?" he said as he looked into Jo's eyes.

"Not yet. That's why we're here. When was the last time you saw her?" Jo asked.

"I- I just saw her last night. We close at three in the morning, but stay 'til three thirty to clean up and stuff."

"So you last saw her at three thirty?"

"Yeah."

"Did she seem worried or did anything seem unusual with her?"

"No. She was fine as usual. She usually takes a cab home, but sometimes her boyfriend will come and walk her home, like he did last night."

"He might have been the last one to see her alive, did you see him or how he was acting?"

"No, I usually don't see him, he stands outside waiting for her, then she goes with him. Hey, what's he doing?"

"Oh, don't mind me, I'm just looking around!" Henry said enthusiastically whilst looking under some tables.

"Don't worry about him, he won't do anything." She cleared her throat and proceeded, "Was there anyone else here last night?"

"No, it's usually just me and her on the late shift. Sometimes Jimmy, the kid in the back, will stay late, but not very often. Hardly anyone else'll do it, ya' know?"

"Did she have any arguments or anything else unusual happen between her and some customers?"

"No, she was too sweet. She always got along with them. She was even somehow able to calm down the mean drunks." He slightly chuckled to himself and said, "Damn. She was one of the best. I'll never understand how she did it, but she did."

"Thank you so much, if you can think of anything else, please, give us a call." She handed him a card and yelled jokingly, "Come on Henry, time to go!"

"Alright!" he said as he was coming out from underneath the table. He strode towards her and held the door open for her.

"Did you find anything?" she asked.

"Well, yes, but nothing that pertains to the case" he said light-heartedly.


	2. Chapter 2

"I assume we're going to her apartment to talk with her boyfriend?" Henry asked as he stared out of the car window as the world blurred by.

"Yeah," she replied. "Hopefully we'll be able to get this son of a bitch."

"Don't judge a book by its cover, Detective. People aren't always what they appear to be," he plainly stated about Daily and himself. He then proceeded to clear his throat.

"Well, you know. I just hope we catch the guy that killed that poor girl," she said quietly. The rest of the car ride to the victim's apartment was silently awkward.

As time passed, Henry thought about the thing that weighed him down, his secret. _People aren't always what they appear to be_, the words echoed in his mind. _I was talking about myself_, he thought, _why couldn't things be simpler? Why couldn't it be easier tell her? I wish I could, but how? What if it was like Nora all over again? But I would be liberated, free from these lies and excuses. _He continued to question himself before Jo had to snap him back to reality.

"Henry, wake up," Jo said gently whilst shaking his shoulder with a bit of force.

"I apologize," Henry muttered as he stirred. "I must have dozed off a bit," he said whilst stretching his limbs. "How long was I asleep?"

"Just about five minutes," Jo answered, "but don't worry about it. I know the job can be stressful at times. Besides, it's good to get a little cat-nap in from time to time," she said as she patted his arm. The two exited the car and prepared to talk to Luke Daily.

_The job isn't even half of it_, Henry thought.

They both walked up the stairs leading to the door, but before knocking, Jo looked into his intelligent, brown eyes and addressed him, "I don't want you wandering off or doing something crazy. This guy could be dangerous, and I don't want to take any risks. Understood?"

"I suppose," Henry took a deep breath and agreed hesitantly. Henry stood behind her, eagerly awaiting the wonderful things he would discover. She raised her fist to knock on the weathered door, and as she did so, the door creaked opened.

She turned to face Henry and said, "I'm going in to do a sweep and I need you to stay out here, okay?"

"Understood," he said as he slightly raised his hand and nodded. Having known the man's past charges, he knew harsh drugs could make one extremely unpredictable. He couldn't allow her to enter alone, not when the possibility of an unpredictable man who may or may have not committed murder stood.

As she drew her weapon, she yelled, "NYPD! I'm coming in!" She entered the threshold and surveyed the area to make sure it was clear. It was filthy and trash littered the room, but it was clear. She then proceeded to check the next room. Henry, being the protective, caring man he is, silently entered the apartment to be there for her, to protect her.

After a bit of looking around, Henry entered what appeared to be the kitchen. This room was just as messy as the living room, but had a small table in the corner and other essential kitchen appliances, even the dreaded microwave. A shirtless man, Luke Daily, stood in front of the sink. It looked as if he were trying to frantically clean off a shirt covered in blood. Henry took a step closer to him, but before he could do anything, the man spun around from the sink and noticed Henry. He was obviously high and crazed on some drug. He was pale, sweaty, his eyes were dull, and he had blood on his arms and torso. Henry thought about talking to him, but there was no use in arguing with an insane man, even if it was drug induced. As a formerly accused insane man, he knew. Henry glanced over his shoulder and spied a gun on the counter. Having noticed Henry glancing behind him, he quickly turned around to see what it was. He immediately noticed the gun, scrambled to get it, and clenched it in his hands.

Jo, still in another room, presumably the bedroom, observed blood on the bed sheets. She was prepared to get him, so with her gun still raised, she traced her steps to finish searching the rest of the apartment. She quickly peeked behind the curtains in the living room to check up on Henry. Unsurprisingly, he wasn't there. She quickly went and searched the unobserved territory in the apartment to find him before he got himself into trouble, but what she didn't know was that he had already gotten himself into trouble.

"I didn't do it," said Luke quietly with the gun trembling in his hands, pointing it towards Henry.

"I believe you, but-" Henry spoke, but his words were cut off by the sound of three, distinct gunshots.

Jo heard them and ran towards it. The flight response in her kicked in. Her heart pounded, her lungs gasped for air, and her hands grew cold and clammy. Mind filled with fear, she ran for him. She had already lost someone close to her; she couldn't lose another, not today. By the time she arrived to the kitchen, Luke had already escaped through the back door. Although she contemplated chasing after Daily, she didn't contemplate for long. She collapsed near Henry, who had three dark wounds in his chest. Jo looked down at her unconscious partner and acted instinctively, not letting her emotions get the best of her. She immediately called the paramedics and had a BOLO put out on Daily. After managing to have found a pulse, she praised God_._ He had one, but it was weak, and his breathing was shallow. Miraculously, she had somehow hastily managed to find a towel among the mess to hold down on his injuries. For every second of every minute, Jo had managed to keep pressure on his chest until they arrived. While doing so, she ran her fingers through his dark, curly hair to comfort herself. She was on the brink of losing all control, but she managed to hold it together. It seemed like an eternity, but she was relieved when they had finally come to her rescue.

They had quickly and procedurally taken his limp body, put it on a stretcher, and loaded him into the ambulance. Before heading off, one of the paramedics asked if she wanted to come with him. Without hesitation, she came. After they closed the doors, they were off. The paramedics cut through his shirt to quickly address his injuries. They then proceeded to do their job by patching him up and attempting to stabilize him. While doing so, they tried talking to her to calm her down, but it was of no use. Their words went in one ear and out the other. She stared at his face, wondering if she'd ever hear him again. Having lost track of time, one of the paramedics had to shake her to snap her out of it. Quickly, she realized what was going on and stepped out of the ambulance. She was led to a waiting room and was told they were going to operate. They suggested she went home, seeing as how the operation would take a while, but she opposed and decided to stay there for the night. She had to make sure he was going to be okay, she just had to. _It was my fault. I could have prevented all of this. If only I had made sure... I- I should've known better, _she thought. Her mind was filled with fear and worry as she sat, anxiously waiting, and the rest of the world was just a blur.


End file.
